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Most people associate water power with the Hoover Dam -- a huge facility harnessing the power of an entire river behind its walls -- but hydropower facilities come in all sizes. Some may be very large, but they can be tiny too, taking advantage of water flows in municipal water facilities or irrigation ditches. They can even be “dam-less,” with diversions or run-of-river facilities that channel part of a stream through a powerhouse before the water rejoins the main river. Whatever the method, hydroelectric power is much easier to obtain and more widely used than most people realize. In fact, every state uses hydropower for electricity, some more than others. Additionally, hydropower costs less than most energy sources. To learn more about hydropower, visit the Department of Energy.